Freedom

Can you imagine being in prison – being trapped in the same place, confined to the four walls of a tiny room? Some of you are probably thinking “Well if you did the crime, you’d pay the price” or “I wouldn’t do something that’ll send me to prison.” But what happens when you didn’t do the crime but yet you are paying the price? What happens when the same people who are meant to fight for justice unjustly place you to a life in “bondage”?

Words cannot begin to describe the anger and pain I’d feel in that type of situation. I’m naturally a restless person so thinking of how I would cope in that tiny space seems crazy. However we know that in the type of society we live in this isn’t unusual. Ricky Dale Wyatt was charged with rape back in 1981 at the age of 25. He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Thirty one years later, he received a $100 bill, an apology from the judge and was released to withheld evidence during the original trial. Ricky was filled with joy at the news and happy to take on the rest of his life. You’d expect him to be bitter or mad at the system and at the world right? I mean if he really was innocent, he should have those feelings right? He had every reason to feel negative but instead Ricky said that after some time in prison, he realized that God allowed it to happen. He was sent to prison to be freed from prison.

That statement completely threw me off, it blew my mind so much that I immediately said a quick prayer after reading it. I prayed for my faith to be unshakable. It further iterated the fact that freedom isn’t limited to the situation we are in but our state of mind. But dare I say that ONLY Jesus can give us that state of mind. Only in Him can we live in complete freedom, in Him we rule, reign and have our being. He died to save us from the curse of the law so we can be free from it. We gain freedom through His salvation.

The system allows us to think so narrowly – an education, a fancy job, “freedom of speech” on social networks, etc., and bam we are “free”. If that’s the case why are we monitored or how is it that people can get arrested from their “free” speeches on these social networks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for justice and safety measures but this only goes to show that these are not the true measures of freedom.

Lord Jesus, please open the hearts of any readers to fully understand Your love. Change our mindsets, help us to line in You because only then can we truly be free. Help us to lead a life like Yours, to stand on Your promises even when life seems so gloom. Help us to accept Your amazing grace, the same grace that saved a wretch like me.

Giants

So I was going through some of my old notes and I came across this one from a message the Bishop T.D. Jakes preached last year. I thought it was pretty relevant to my life right now and I hope that you’re able to take something from it as well!

-           -God created you with more then one thing in you

->Don’t limit yourself to one thing

->Awaken the “other you” inside

  

             1 Samuel 17:12-29

-           -Giants are always at the gate

-          -David was in touch with all sides of himself

->He was after God’s own heart

-         - Greatness sneaks up on you and shows itself to you in mighty ways

         -Despise not the day of small beginnings

->It doesn’t matter where you start, only where you finish

-        -If it’s not the thing, it’s the thing that will lead to the thing

->You may not be doing exactly what you’d like to be doing but the Lord has a purpose for this season in your life, to prepare you for the next one

-        -God is about to take you out of your element

->His own divine purpose

-         -You know you’re called to do something when you have the fight in you for something that others have fear for

-        -Courage is a sign of your calling!

-        -Run into something that others are running away from

-        -Your past prepares you for your destiny

-         The devil wouldn’t be fighting you if he didn’t know you were going somewhere

1.      The Giant = the gate to your wealth

a.     Close to your wealth

b.      You may not be able to see increase, but you can always see the giant

2.     Shift your position

3.      Everything associated with you will be blessed

-       -If you have a problem it’s a sign that you are close to your greatness

-       -For every giant has a gate

-       -You can’t delay your battle while you’re waiting on your new equipment

-       -If you don’t invest in your dreams they won’t materialize

->Invest your rock -> David’s rock didn’t kill the giant, it knocked him out

-      -You kill the enemy with the very thing that he is trying to kill you with

-      -Don’t fear the giant!

->He can’t kill you -> He’s only here to move you (you pick the direction)

-     -If God calls you then He doesn’t want somebody else

->Don’t imitate others and their calling

-    -Everybody has a giant and he only tells you lies 

       If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll only do what you’ve already done!

Heroes

So I’m reading “Girls with Swords” by Lisa Bevere currently and it is incredibly amazing and life changing. It’s been a lot of talk about heroes and how they (we) can and should seize our moment. A lot of the heroes that we know in the Bible and throughout history had no idea that they were heroes until after the fact. Heroes are people of substance and live their lives by faith. Through faith there is SO much that we can accomplish. This is a short(not so short) list of some things that our biblical heroes were able to accomplish through faith:

Set the precedent for acceptable sacrifices

Skipped death

Pleased God

Built a massive ark in the middle of dry land

Drew the line between good and evil

Traveled to places unknown

Lived as strangers in the land

Kept their eyes on the eternal

Received what God did for them by faith

Became pregnant in old age and birthed a nation

In times of testing offered the promise back to God

Reached into the future and blessed their descendants

Prophesied destiny and the Exodus

Braved the king’s decree and hid their son

Refused a privileged royal life with the oppressors and chose hardship among God’s people, who were oppressed

Turned from the angry earthly king to obey the invisible eternal God

Celebrated the Passover

Crossed the Red Sea to dry land

Marched around Jericho seven times

Welcomed spies and escaped destruction

Toppled kingdoms

Made justice work

Took the promises for themselves

Were protected from lions, fires, and swords

Turned disadvantage into advantage

Won battles

Routed enemies

Received their loved ones back from the dead

Pretty incredible right?? Some of those seem kind of simple but then I look at others and I’m blown away by the amount of faith that it took that person to believe in that. I want a faith like my heroes, a faith that doesn’t compromise!

What do you see?

“and the word of the Lord came to me and asked: what do you see?”

I see a world full of people who are lost, but unaware that they are lost. I see people seeking for hope, love, forgiveness and acceptance…and destroying themselves because they keep looking in all the wrong places. I see that love can heal the brokenhearted and grace can really set the captive free. I see that light always overcomes darkness. I see that He invades my weakness with His strength. I see the power of believing in the call, and running the race that is set before me. I see a generation who is passionately seeking after His heart. I see that laughter is the best medicine. I see leaders who will rise to the occasion and BE the change. I see that faith somehow keeps me going, even if it’s difficult to believe. I see the bigger picture, even if I don’t quite know how to get there yet.

What do YOU see?